Guinness World Records would like to extend its good wishes to Japan’s Sakari Momoi - the world’s oldest living man - who today celebrates his 112th birthday.
Born on 5 February 1903 in Soma (now, Minami Soma), Fukushima, Mr. Momoi became a teacher and later worked as the principal of high schools in Fukushima and Saitama prefecture.
In 1928, he married (the late) Ms. Tamiko and had 5 children.
Mr. Momoi with a picture he drew recently
Mr. Momoi currently resides in a hospital in Tokyo. He likes reading, especially Chinese poetry. He also enjoyed traveling around Japan with his wife before she passed away.
The oldest living woman – and currently the oldest living person – is Misao Okawa (Japan), who was born on 5 March 1898 in Osaka, Japan and is currently 116 years and 11 months old.
The oldest person ever to have lived is Jeanne Calment (France), who lived to 122 years and 164 days, and the oldest man ever is Jiroemon Kimura (Japan), who was born on 19 April 1897 and passed away aged 116 years 54 days on 12 June 2013.
Mr. Momoi took the title after Mr. Alexander Imich (NY, United States) who passed away on 8 June 2014 aged 111 years 124 days.
Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday says: "To put Mr Momoi’s age into perspective, he was born before the Wright brothers made their first powered flight, before Henry Ford produced his first car, and before the birth of author George Orwell and jazz legends Bix Beiderbeck and Fats Waller"
"Back in 1903, the world had only just staged the second ever modern Olympic Games and Albert Einstein was yet to publish his theory of Special Relativity. It’s difficult to imagine that a contemporary of this era is still flourishing to this day, so it’s a particularly special honour to acknowledge Mr Momoi and his remarkable longevity."
